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was in the castle when we arrived back. And
who would have left in the dark to go over there?”
    “ We
better tell Inspector Bailey about it!”
    “ I’ll go
and find him?” Merton spoke, leaving them.
    Mortimer
finished examining it, and he stood with Bryson. It did not take
long for Inspector Bailey’s heavy voice to appear from the castle –
and rapidly come towards them. He was intensely questioning
Merton.
    He turned
silent as he emerged from the castle – slightly shivering –
observing the blinding snow.
    He carefully
examined everything about him. Merton walked past him, and two
policemen came out.
    They all moved
over to them, and stood beside Bryson.
    Inspector
Bailey looked as if he wished to pace back and forwards, but saw
the print and depth of the snow. He eventually satisfied himself by
putting his hands at his hips, while chewing his lip.
    The two
policemen analyzed the prints, considering whether to start
brushing away snow from one.
    “ Have
you been over in that direction?” Inspector Bailey asked, looking
at their trail going along the castle.
    “ No!”
Merton replied swiftly. “We were over there...”
    “ Let’s
follow them,” Inspector Bailey announced, setting off, going along
the side of the prints. And they followed him, leaving the
policemen at a footprint.
    As they
increased their distance, forensic investigators emerged out of the
doorway, glancing at them and at the prints going off into the
distance.
    “ This is
a hell of a place!” Inspector Bailey mumbled.
    It gave the
impression that he had always been saying such things, but Bryson
knew that it was something different to him, and he was handling
something beyond what he normally had been dealing with. It
surprised Inspector Bailey that there had been someone at the
castle, and that the person had made such a dramatic exit.
    The marks gave
the impression that the person had rushed away. Perhaps the person
had calmly strolled through the castle first. They were spaced
further than normal, and unevenly separated, going in a slightly
altering course into the trees.
    “ It
might have been one of the servants taking a short cut!” Bryson
asked, to see what he would say, and break the silence between him
and them.
    “ You
have to be kidding! None of the servants would walk out here during
the day – never mind at night – at this place! The new owner may
have to replace them now.”
    He increased
their pace, determined to arrive quickly at the trees.
    They only
slowed as they entered the first trees.
    Crows, barely
recognizing humans, flew up into the air, from above them, sending
snow spraying about them, melting on their faces.
    Mortimer led
them deep into the wood, where it was more lifeless and still.
There were no signs of anything.
    The sun
faintly shone, like the moon, through a thin cloud vapor.
    Merton and
Mortimer bored of searching for nothing, just copied Inspector
Bailey, searching about the trail for clues left there. And Bryson
intensely checked the undergrowth and branches, which went about
them – in case the person had left anything, while going through
the wood, in the dark.
    To the their
disappointment, a small farm road emerged across their path, and
the prints vanished into the heavy tread marks going along it.
    “ Where
does this lead to?” Inspector Bailey asked, trying to recall
something like a map, studying the prints going onto the
road.
    “ The
village,” Bryson answered. “The person must have walked there, or
used a car ...”
    Bryson
realized that it had been a daft idea. The path would not have
directly led to the person! The person would have to have been
raving mad!
    He was glad
that they did not have to follow it any further. Because he wanted
to return to the castle, as the lawyer would probably be arriving,
with the video. And he had better and more urgent things to do.

Chapter 22
     
    Direct Action
     
    A policeman
soundlessly guarded the dining room, with an occasional